Police-Citizen Contacts

The purpose of this policy is to define the limitations of authority and acceptable conduct and practices of officers when making police business contacts with citizens.

Police interactions with citizens form the cornerstone of effective police work. With that in mind, all officers shall follow the provisions of this policy to maximize the usefulness of investigatory citizen contacts while observing and respecting the privacy rights of citizens. This policy does not address stops based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity or frisks of suspects incidental to such stops, nor does it apply to stops of motor vehicles. Officers should refer to protocols contained in this agency’s policies on Field Interviews and Pat-Down Searches and Motor Vehicle Stops for further information on these related topics.